


I think the end of it all may look a lot like the beginning

by brilliantbanshee



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt TK Strand, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, TK just tried to take a night off to spend with his boyfriend but that was obviously too much to ask, Worried 126 Firefam, Worried Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), mentions of other members of the 126
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantbanshee/pseuds/brilliantbanshee
Summary: When TK wakes up in the middle of the night to find Carlos's neighbor's house on fire with her son trapped inside, of course he has to go in. There was never any version of this where he didn't. Carlos knows that too - it's one of the things he loves about the other man. But when things go from bad to worse in an instant and Carlos is left on the outside and TK is left facing the possibility of the end, there's nothing either of them can do but hope for the best.-----Written for the "surrender" square of my bthb board
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1209081
Comments: 14
Kudos: 173
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand, Bad Things Happen Bingo





	I think the end of it all may look a lot like the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Title from We're Only People (And There's Not Much Anyone Can Do About That) by Father John Misty. Written for the "surrender" square for bthb.

At first, TK’s not sure what wakes him up. 

He tended to be a light sleeper — years of sleeping on shift and having to wake up for an alarm will do that — but when he blinked open his eyes, he couldn’t figure out what woke him in the first place. He’s in Carlos’s bedroom and all seems quiet. He laid quietly as he listened, trying to identify the source of the disturbance. It’s a while before he hears it: distant shouting, coming from outside the condo. He frowned, but bolted upright when he caught a scent in the air that is all too familiar: smoke, and a lot of it. 

He slid out of bed and crossed to the balcony, peering out the glass doors and feeling his stomach drop when he saw the familiar angry orange glow coming from down the street. He cursed as he reached for his shirt, pulling it on as he leaned over to shake Carlos who was still sleeping soundly on his side of the bed. 

“Carlos, wake up. One of your neighbors’ houses is on fire.” 

Carlos’s eyes opened and he sat up, blinking at TK for only a moment before the words registered and his eyes widened. He swung his legs out of the bed and stood to follow TK who was already at the door and turning towards the stairs. They jogged across the street and down 4 doors until they joined the slowly growing crowd outside the burning home. TK looked to Carlos, who pointed to the anxious woman near the front of the crowd, “That’s Mrs. Melendez. It’s her house, she has two kids and her husband usually works nights.”

TK nodded at the information, following Carlos as he pushed through the crowd, most of the neighbors parting as they recognized him. “Mrs. Melendez!” he calls as they get closer, “is everyone out?” 

The woman turned her anxious, tear filled gaze to them, “I was able to get to Anna on my way out but I couldn’t get to Zach’s room and I haven’t seen him out here!” 

TK stepped forward, making sure to keep his voice even and calm as he asked, “Where is his room Ma’am?” 

Mrs. Melendez looked hesitant but Carlos placed a reassuring hand on her arm, “he’s a firefighter Theresa, let us help.” 

She gave a shaky nod and turned back towards the house, “his room is the first floor, that third window from the left.” 

TK nodded and studied the house. Distantly he heard Carlos still speaking to mother in his soothing tone, confirming that they had called 911 already but he was too focused on the flames to really listen. So far the area that Theresa had indicated her son might be in was clear of the flames, but judging by the way they were eating through the structure, it wouldn’t be for long. The kid could be rescued, but he needed to be rescued now; they couldn’t wait for a fire company to show up. 

“I’m going in.” 

Carlos broke off his reassurances abruptly, “No you are  _ not _ .”

“I have to Carlos.” He lowered his voice so the anxious mother couldn’t overhear, “Those flames are moving too fast, the kid doesn’t have time to wait for a fire company to get here.” 

“You can’t just go in there without your gear, TK! Just because you’re a firefighter doesn’t mean your invulnerable—you’re still just as flammable as anyone else. I would stand just as good of a chance as you would!” 

TK scoffed, “That’s not true, and you know it. I might not have my gear but I still have years of training and experience, Carlos. I know how to deal with flames and how to avoid them. Someone going in right now is that kid’s only hope of surviving, and I have the best chance of making it out.”

He held Carlos’s gaze as he processed his words. He knew he was right, and he knew Carlos knew it too. He might not like the idea of TK diving headfirst into danger, but he knew what the alternative was and they both knew they couldn’t live with that. 

TK could tell the moment Carlos relented, when he accepted the inevitable. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly, and he gave a small sigh: “Just, be careful, okay?” 

“I always am,” TK retorted. 

Carlos raised an eyebrow, “And here I thought we didn’t lie to each other.” 

TK grinned at him, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss, “I’ll be back before you know it.” 

Carlos still looked doubtful, but nodded, giving him a smile as TK turned and toward the burning structure. 

Getting in was easy, so was finding the correct hallway. He was starting to feel optimistic, confident in the promise he had made Carlos, but as he got closer to his destination he could see a change in the smoke. It was thicker now; dark and heavy and moving through the open air fast. He grimaced as he noticed; he may not have as much time as he thought he did. He would need to move quickly—smoke that heavy was never a good sign. 

He found the right door and pressed a hand against it experimentally. It was cool to the touch and he pushed it open, looking around the room for any sign of a kid. 

“Zach?” he called as he glanced around, “Zach, my name is TK and I’m a firefighter. I’m here to help you get out, outside the house to your mom and sister.” 

There was no answer and on a hunch he kneeled down on the ground next to the bed, leaning down so he could peer under it. There was a small boy pressed against the far wall, eyes wide and clutching a teddy bear tightly to his chest. 

“Hey, Zach, my name’s TK,” he said, keeping his tone as soothing and low as possible, “I’m here to get you out of here, back to your mom and sister. Can you come out from under there so I can help you?” 

The kid shook his head frantically, gripping his bear harder, “There’s fire out there,” he told TK, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, there is buddy, but I can get you out. I’m a firefighter.” 

“You don’t look like a firefighter. You don’t have a helmet.” 

“You’re right, I don’t. It’s my night off so I don’t have it with me. Think of it like Superman without his cape: I can still help you.” 

The boy seemed to consider that. After a few moments he shook his head and spoke again, “I’m scared, I don’t want to come out.” 

“It is scary Zach, you’re right. But I can help you get out of here safely, I just need you to trust me. Think you can do that?” He reached a hand under the bed, holding it out for Zach to take. 

The kid looked at his hand for another moment and TK felt sweat start to bead up on the back of his neck, and he knew it wasn’t just from nerves. They needed to get out of here,  _ now _ . 

Zach looked over at him again, meeting TK’s eyes, “Like Superman?” 

TK chuckled, “Yeah buddy, like Superman.” 

Zach nodded and finally took TK’s hand, allowing himself to be pulled out from under the bed. He came out coughing and TK glanced around before picking up an abandoned t-shirt from the floor and pouring the contents of the partially filled glass of water from the nightstand onto it. He held it out to Zach, “here. Hold the wet part over your mouth and nose, it’ll make it a little easier to breathe in here.” The little boy took it and did as TK asked as he looked to the door. 

The smoke leaking under it was even thicker now, but he crossed over and placed a cautious hand on it anyways, pulling it away with a grimace. They wouldn't be getting out that way, that was for sure. He glanced around the room, Zach’s hand still held tightly in his own while his other clutched the t-shirt to his face as he located the window. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. He led Zach over to it and undid the lock before throwing it open. He called out even as he worked on freeing the screen, breathing a sigh of relief when Carlos heard him and ran over. 

“Fancy meeting you here,” he quipped as he finally freed the screen, sending it clattering onto the ground outside. 

Carlos gave him an unimpressed look but stepped closer, “All good there?” 

TK nodded, “Yes, but it’ll be even better if you could grab my new friend Zach here.” 

Carlos smiled at the sight of the young boy, reaching out to take him from TK’s grasp as he lifted him to the window ledge, “Hey there Zach, your Mom is going to be really happy to see you.” He set Zach down on the ground where he immediately set off running for his Mother, who happily pulled him into her arms. Carlos looked back at TK, “Now you. Here, let me help you.” 

Carlos held out a hand but TK rolled his eyes, “Please, like I don’t know how to climb out of a bedroom window.” 

Never one to miss a step, Carlos raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something suggestive, more likely than not, but whatever retort he had been about to give died on his lips. His eyes widened and everything seemed to move in slow motion as his gaze turned back to TK with fear in his eyes, mouth moving but TK wasn’t able to hear what he said. A loud crash from above covered any sound Carlos might have made and TK only had an instant to dive away from the flaming debris that careened towards him.

Unfortunately that meant diving back into the bedroom, that was already on fire. 

He landed hard on his right side, groaning as he tried to push himself up. He wrist gave out on him as he tried and he collapsed back on the ground, eyes now stinging with the combined force of the pain and the smoke rapidly filling every square inch of the room. He shifted and tried again, pushing himself up with his good hand, surveying the room as he rose. The smoke was everywhere, but there was still a corner free of flame, and he headed towards it. 

He sank onto the ground, chest heaving with heavy coughs as he pulled his t-shirt up to cover his mouth and nose. The thin material wouldn’t really provide much of a barrier to the heavy smoke, but it was better than nothing. He scanned the room, looking for any way out, any signs of an exit. There weren’t any. The window was blocked by flaming debris and the heavy black smoke coming from under the door told him that there would be no escaping that way. He hit his head on the wall behind him in frustration. There was an irony here that almost made him laugh: if he hadn’t taken tonight off he would likely still be in the same situation. He would just be in it with his gear and his team at his side. 

He couldn’t bring himself to regret it though: he had taken the night off to spend with Carlos, to celebrate their relationship. Two years - it seemed like an unbelievable number. It felt like both so much time and not enough all at once. Any night with Carlos was never a night ill spent, but this one in particular had been one he knew he would savor. He clutched at his left hand, fingering the unfamiliar weight of a ring on his finger. Even if this was it, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. His only regret was that Carlos would be left with nothing but the memories and a matching ring of his own, and the knowledge of what they were on the way to be. 

His chest ached as he was attacked by another round of coughs but his mind thought again of their last look, at the fear in Carlos’s expression in the split second before they had been so rudely and abruptly separated. He had no doubts that even now Carlos was frantically waiting just outside, trying desperately to find anything he could to help, any way he could save TK. But Carlos had saved him so many times, eventually the day had to come when he couldn’t. 

The room grew warmer and his eyelids heavier. It wouldn’t be long now. His only other thought was for his team. He hoped they weren’t the ones to respond. He knew they would move heaven and earth to save him, but he also knew enough to know that it was too late now. Whatever fire company showed up would be doing retrieval, not rescue. He didn’t want them to have to find his corpse. He couldn’t bear to think of them going through that, especially not his dad. If they were the ones to show up he just hoped the rest of the team kept him out. He didn’t need to see this. 

It was harder to breathe now. He knew what was coming; he had spent most of his life surrounded by fire, he knew how it killed. It wasn’t normally the flames that got you, but the smoke. And there was plenty of it: it filled every square inch of the room and made his vision blur and his head swim. 

He thought once again of Carlos and his heart ached. He loved him so much, they had been so happy. These past two years with him had been the happiest of his life. He wished that they didn’t have to face an end before they had gotten another beginning—they had been so close to it. Maybe in some way this was a blessing; facing an end now when he had finally found the happiness he had spent so much of his life seeking. Maybe it was kinder this way. 

Regardless of how kind it may or may not be, it was fitting. He had spent his entire life surrounded by fire in one way or another. Time and time again he had been told his recklessness would get him killed, time and time again he had been told his propensity to run into fire would be his end. Turns out they had been right. Firefighting and saving people was his purpose in life, it was only right that it would also be his end. 

His last conscious thought was of Carlos. He loved him so much, he hoped he knew. He was pretty sure he did. Then, with a final breath, he surrendered to the smoke. 

* * *

Carlos stared at the spot where TK had been in horror. It was now an unbreachable wall of flaming debris, a wall of flames separating him from his fiancé. He stared at it with growing dismay, mind reeling with all the awful possibilities. Was TK able to get clear? Was he crushed by the collapsing ceiling or had he dodged it, only to be trapped in a room he was sure was filled with smoke and flames? Was he suffering? Was he even still alive? Every thought he had was worse than the last. 

The arrival of a fire truck pulled him from his rapidly spiraling thoughts and he turned to see the familiar numbers 126 with equal parts relief and dread. He would have to be the one to tell them and he didn’t want to see the fear he was feeling reflected on anyone else’s face. He watched them bantering as they climbed out of the truck, laughing at something even as he crossed the crowd towards them. It was Paul who spotted him first, his pleasant expression sliding off his face as he called to the other members of the team, alerting them of Carlos’s presence. 

By the time he reached them a few seconds later they were all looking at him. The mood had shifted and the air felt heavier now. He can sense the worry and fear rolling off of them as their eyes collectively searched the crowd: they all knew TK was with him tonight and now he’s nowhere to be seen with a flaming house in the background. It doesn’t need to be said, but Carlos does anyways. 

“There was a kid trapped,” he blurts out, “and TK said he didn’t have enough time to wait, so he went in. He got the kid out through a window, but then part of the ceiling collapsed and he got trapped inside.” 

Owen nodded grimly, expression tight, “How long?” 

“He went in about four minutes ago, and he’s been trapped for about one.” 

Judd lets out a curse and the others look even more worried. Owen heaves a shaky breath before he’s giving orders, “Okay, Marwani and Stickland, you’re with me and we’re going in. Ryder you stay out here with Chavez and get the hoses ready to go. This structure is going to be fully engulfed in a matter of minutes, we need to be ready to attack it.” 

“Cap, you’re not going in.” 

All eyes turned to Judd, but his gaze was focused on Owen. 

“Judd, I…” 

“Shouldn’t be going in, and you know it. You need to be out here, monitoring the situation. You said it yourself: this whole thing could change in a second, you need to be out here to make the calls that need to be made.” 

“Judd, it’s my son.” 

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t go in!”

The two men locked eyes for a second before Judd’s expression softened, “You know we’ll do whatever we can to get him out, Owen. He’s our family too and he doesn’t have the time for us to stand here and argue.”

Carlos could tell by the way Owen’s shoulders slumped that he had relented. He looked defeated for the blink of an eye before he straightened again, “Go and get him out, please.” 

Judd nodded and turned to Carlos, “Is there anyone else in the house?” 

“No, it was just the kid trapped and TK already got him out. He was in the second bedroom to the left.” 

Judd nodded gratefully, already pulling in his gear, “Okay, Marwani, you’re with me then. Grab an extra O2 mask for TK, he’s gonna need it. Strickland and Chavez, get those hoses ready...and have EMS standing by.” 

“Judd,” Owen called as he and Marjan turned to walk away, “keep the line open. I need to know what’s going on in there.” 

It wasn’t so much an order as it was a desperate plea, but Judd nodded all the same, “Copy that Cap. We’ll get him.” 

With that they were gone and there was nothing more for Carlos to do than wait. He reached unconsciously towards his left hand, running his fingers over his ring; so new it still felt foreign on his hand. It felt strange and new, but it also felt so right. He felt eyes on him and noticed Paul watching him. Their eyes meet for a second and Carlos can tell by the grim set of his mouth and the emotion in his eyes he knows, that he pieced together what promise they had made tonight before the world went to hell. The firefighter gave Carlos a sympathetic look as before he was gone, rushing over to help Mateo with the hoses, getting ready to provide support as needed. 

Carlos stays close to Owen, both for the solidarity of sharing this fear and for the updates coming through his radio. Hearing Judd’s voice through the radio was a solid comfort: help was on the way, and it was help that wouldn’t leave TK behind for anything. Soon they’re announcing that they have reached the room in question and Carlos is aware that he has stopped breathing. He waited breathlessly for an update, for news that will either set his world spinning again or send it crashing down around him. Distantly he heard Marjan and Judd talking, keeping tabs on their progress through the flames. It’s all background noise to Carlos until he heard Marjan calling out TK’s name. He waited anxiously for an update, needing to know but dreading the knowledge. After a few seconds of indistinct chatter he heard Judd’s voice, strong and clear and directed at the radio, “We’re bringing him out now. He’s unconscious and I don’t think he’s breathing, but we need to get out now.” 

Owen reached for his radio with a shaky hand even as he waved Tommy over, “Copy that, medical will be standing by. Just get yourselves out of there in one piece.” 

The moments before they emerge seemed to drag on forever, but finally they emerge, forming a strange silhouette against the bright flames lighting up the night. It’s Judd and Marjan for sure, with a third slumped figure resting over Judd’s shoulder, Marjan standing close enough to keep a supporting arm on him. With a jolt Carlos realized the limp figure was TK and he could feel the dread rising within him with each step they took that he didn't react to. As soon as they were clear of the fire they raced over. Judd gently placed TK onto the ground and Tommy stepped in a split second later, already calling out instructions to Nancy. The others hesitated, looking down at their fallen friend who was far too pale and far too still to be TK, but the roar of the flames behind them forced them to jump back into action. There was still a fire to extinguish and that was their job, just as taking care of TK was Tommy’s. 

The others rushed off to tackle the flames but Carlos sank down to his knees beside TK’s still form, placing a gentle but shaking hand on TK’s arm, silently praying to anyone who would listen to let him be okay. Distantly he saw the crowd edging closer, Theresa with her hands on Zach’s shoulders at the foreground. She lifted a hand to her mouth in horror as she took in the scene, eyes flicking from TK’s still form to Carlos’s terrified gaze, but Carlos can’t focus on the pity or sympathy of his neighbors right now. All that mattered was that TK wasn’t breathing and that Tommy hadn't said a word. 

He moved his hand up TK’s arm to his cheek, caressing it tenderly as he waited, eyes tracking Tommy as she leaned over him, the seconds stretching on, each one weighing more and more with her silence. Finally she looked up, meeting Carlos’s gaze. 

“He has a pulse,” she told him, “but it’s faint. He needs to get to a hospital now, so if you’re coming I suggest we go.” 

He nodded quickly, hopping up and standing back as they got TK ready to transport, allowing the racing of his heart to slow just a bit. He knew that this didn’t mean everything was okay, he knew that there was a still long night of worry and fear ahead of them. He knew that there was still a chance for the worst to happen. 

But right now TK was alive and as long as that remained true, Carlos could handle anything. 

* * *

  
  


When TK is aware again, he’s surprised to hear voices. 

There is more than one and they seem somehow familiar to his hazy mind, but he just can’t get his brain to work long enough to make the connection. He’s aware he’s drifting again even as he tries to open his eyes. It takes a few tries, he thinks, and he’s not sure how much time has passed but eventually he is able to blink them open and slowly take in his surroundings. The lighting and the feel of the sheets around his body and the ambient noise floating through the room all add up to mean one thing: hospital. That means he made it out, that means he hadn’t died in that room after all. 

He goes to move his hand but stops when he feels a weight against it. He turns his head to locate the source and sees his dad sitting in the chair beside his bed, hand resting lightly on top of his own as he runs his thumb across the back of the cast enclosing it, gaze directed towards the open door. 

“Dad?” he asked, or at least he tried to. His voice is so hoarse he’s not entirely sure there were any syllables at all, but it seemed to do the trick. His dad started and turned to face him quietly, his face breaking out into a wide, relieved grin at the sight of TK looking at him. He reached out a hand to cup his cheek as he leaned closer, “Hey kiddo, it’s so good to see your eyes open.” 

Something in his dad’s tone and the moisture in his eyes makes TK pause. He’s emanating relief, and it’s palpable. “How long was I out?” he asked, dreading the answer. One coma was more than enough for a lifetime, he had never wanted to put his loved ones through that ever again. 

“It’s been two days,” his dad told him softly, running a hand through his hair, “they had you sedated for most of the time so they could keep you intubated. You...you were so oxygen deprived, it was all they could do to keep your body functioning long enough for you to heal. They took you off the vent early this morning, but we weren’t expecting you to wake up for a while now.”

He stared back at his dad, so many unanswered questions vying for attention in his still hazy brain. But something about the way he had said “we” struck him and he did his best to look around the room, frowning when he didn’t see anyone else. 

“Carlos?” he asked, heart thudding at the implications of his absence. Had something happened? Had he tried to follow TK into the structure when he got trapped? Was he hurt?

“He just stepped out for a few minutes to get some air and some coffee,” his dad assured him, squeezing his hand tighter, “he’s okay. He’s been here the entire time, I finally convinced him to take a break just a few minutes ago.” 

TK nodded and let himself slump back against the pillows again as his heart rate returned to normal. “Is everyone else okay?” he asked his dad. 

Owen nodded, “They are, we’ve all just been worried about you. I know why you did it, but I still wish…” TK watched as he dad trailed off and shook his head, forcing a smile back onto his face, “I’m just glad you’re okay. You really scared us, kid.” 

“I didn’t mean to,” TK said softly, turning his gaze down to where his hand was fiddling with the blankets. 

“I know you didn’t,” Owen assured him, squeezing his arm reassuringly, “I just don’t like seeing you get hurt. None of us do.” He was quiet for a second as he studied TK until his gaze landed on his uninjured hand playing with the blanket. “That reminds me, have any news you’d like to share with your old man?” 

TK looked back up to meet his father’s gaze, taking in the raised eyebrow and grin. He was puzzled for a moment until his dad nodded towards his left hand and he looked down to see the simple gold band on his finger. “Oh,” he said, and his father laughed.

“Oh? That’s all you’ve got for me? You’re going to have to come up with something better than that, poor Carlos has been the only one with answers about that for the past two days, you’re going to need to help him out.” 

TK smiled softly as he stared down at the ring, running his thumb across the edge of it, savoring its weight against his hand. Much of what had happened was fuzzy, veiled by a haze in his mind and the memory of smoke in his eyes, but he does remember this. He remembers feeling the weight of this ring and all the reminders it brought him and taking comfort in that as the world had faded to black. He remembers, but he’s not sure how to put it into words. He looks up at his father, who is giving him a look of understanding. He opens his mouth, not quite sure what he is going to say, but he is saved by the sound of footsteps at the door. 

There’s a sharp intake of breath from the doorway and his gaze is pulled to the source to find Carlos standing in the doorway, two paper coffee cups clutched in his hands as he leans on the doorframe for support, eyes wide and shining. In his peripheral TK can see his dad look between them, a fond smile on his face. He stands up from his chair quietly, clearing his throat, “I’m going to give you two some time,” he announces as he heads for the door, pausing only long enough to take one of the coffee cups from Carlos and give him a warm squeeze on his shoulder. Then he is gone and there is no one else in the room except for them. Though if TK was pressed, he couldn’t think that there was anyone else in the world at this very moment but Carlos, who was heading towards him. 

When he reached the side of TK’s bed he leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead, lingering for a few moments longer than necessary as he sat down, setting down his coffee in favor of clutching TK’s good hand in his own. They studied each other for several long and silent moments before Carlos finally spoke, voice only marginally clearer than TK’s own, “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m fine Carlos, really,” TK assured him. “How are you?” 

“How am  _ I _ ? Ty, I’m not the one who nearly died from smoke inhalation.”

“No,” TK agreed, “but you were the one who had to watch, and wait. I know if it were you, I wouldn’t have been okay.” 

Carlos swallowed and looked down, threading their fingers together. “I was so scared,” he admitted quietly, “for a while there, I really thought I had lost you. I didn’t know how to handle that, I didn’t know what my life would be without you in it.” 

“For a while, I thought you had too,” TK confessed, voice low as he remembered what he had thought had been his last moments, his last thoughts, “I didn’t want to leave you. I am never going to want to leave you. But,” he said pausing until he met Carlos’s eyes, “if I ever do…”

“No, TK. We are not having this conversation. You just woke up, we’re not…” 

“If I ever do,” TK repeated more firmly, squeezing Carlos’s hand in his own, “you need to keep living your life. I will always love you no matter what, and that means I always want you to be happy. If anything ever happened, I need you to promise me you won’t shut yourself off. There is so much of you to give, Carlos. The world needs you in it.”

“The world needs you too TK,” Carlos countered, tears in his eyes and in his voice, “and so do I.” 

TK smiled sadly, reaching out his cast covered hand to touch Carlos’s cheek, “and I need you. And I don’t ever plan on leaving. If I have my way you are stuck with me until the end of time. I just need you to promise me that, just in case. Can you do that for me?” 

There was silence for a while before Carlos spoke again, “as long as you’ll do the same to me. I love you too much to think of you cutting yourself off from the world if anything were to happen to me.” 

“Okay,” TK replied softly, and Carlos nodded. 

“Okay,” he echoed. 

They studied each other for a few more moments before Carlos leaned forward, pulling TK into a kiss. It wasn’t deep or hungry, but it was gentle and lingering. It was full of love and relief, and it sent a warmth through TK’s body, bringing him more relief than any pain medication ever could. When they separated he paused, resting his forehead on TK’s and TK savored the closeness before Carlos slid back into his seat. 

“Just, promise me you’ll at least do your best to avoid near-death experiences moving forward? I don’t think my body can physically handle any more stress like this.” 

“The plan is to be together forever,” TK reminded him, “that’s what these are for, remember?” 

He held up their linked hands so his ring glinted in the fluorescent lights and Carlos smiled fondly, twisting their hands so he could see his own. 

“You know there were some questions about those,” he told him lightly. 

TK hummed in agreement, “Yeah, my dad mentioned.” 

“Now that you are awake I am officially pushing explanation duties onto you. Think you can handle that?”

TK nodded, turning his gaze back down to their linked hands and matching rings. “Yeah,” he told Carlos, looking back up to meet his eyes with a smile, “I think I can. I could talk about us for the rest of time.” 

And as Carlos matched his smile and TK used their linked hands to pull him closer, he knew it was true. Maybe they wouldn’t have forever, despite how badly TK wanted that to be true. There was so much uncertainty packed into every day, but one thing TK was sure of was that he intended to savor each and every moment he had with Carlos until the end of them.    
  


**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on [tumblr](https://marjansmarwani.tumblr.com/)


End file.
